The 129th Honor Flight Chicago mission brought 112 senior war heroes to Washington, D.C., on an unseasonably mild and exceptionally beautiful June 24 day. In addition to the 110 Vietnam Veterans traveling, we also were honored to fete one WWII and one Korean War Veteran. It is always a treat to have all three generations of those we serve aboard the same flight!
The National Mall was a flurry of activity with both the launch of the Great American State Fair the same evening we were in town, and with preparations for the official America250 celebrations to take place over the July 4 weekend. Typically, our summer missions see fewer crowds due to the infamous heat of the Tidal Basin, but on this day that was not the case! Many of our Veterans were honored to be approached by complete strangers thanking them for their service at every stop.
HFC129 saw the return of Southwest’s “Independence One” livery for the second-straight month, and it was our first flight following the closure of the SWA station at Washington Dulles International Airport. Four individual Southwest representatives were present for our arrival and departure, ensuring our operations went smoothly with new third-party partners and airport logistics. We thank both the SWA Charters team and Swissport for their investment in our mission and for providing an expedited and dignified airport experience for our Veterans amid all of the changes.
With the Great American State Fair kicking off just east of the Washington Monument, we adjusted our itinerary to go directly to the WWII Memorial upon landing to ensure our WWII Veteran—100-year-old Marlowe Bacon—could see his Memorial. The Wall of Stars was deeply moving to this already deeply humble member of our Greatest Generation.
Our flight home entered a holding pattern somewhere over Northwest Indiana because of storms rolling through the Chicago area. As we broke out of the hold, the pilots came on the PA system to announce that “somebody back there has a lot of pull, because ATC has just allowed us to jump to the front of the line for landing at Midway. They asked us to pass along their thanks to all 112 of you for your service. Welcome Home.” That is the kind of respect our Heroes deserve!
We look forward to celebrating America’s 250th birthday throughout the month of July, which will culminate in our 130th mission to D.C. See you then!
Edna Ho and Doug Meffley
Directors, Honor Flight Chicago
“I want to thank you for the Honor Flight Chicago experience. Every person involved with this well-oiled program was unbelievably wonderful in their roles from start to finish. I must share with you that after we landed at Midway and were escorted past the hundreds of people cheering “Welcome Home” for us Veterans that I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I went into uncontrollable sobbing along the way that peaked when I came upon the nine members of my family that were waiting their turn to welcome me home. Honor Flight Chicago 129 was an experience that will live with me forever and I thank all those that, starting with you, made this experience possible.”
— Vietnam Veteran Larry Pebelske
“There were at least 800-1000 people lined up from the time we walked off the plane to when we got to the doors. Everyone, kids wanting to shake our hands. Truly amazing. I had to stop a couple of times and cry a bit. It touched my heart to no end. It’s like you had a little bottle and that bottle was totally full of rewards. The big reward that made our day was a smile and a ‘thank you.’ Every little thing they did I feel came from the heart. I will treasure every minute.”
— Vietnam Veteran Ernie Garcia
“Everything was so professional and so well organized. I don’t know how you do it all. I gained three pounds because they fed us so well. The best part wasn’t even the memorials, it was the reception we had on both ends. That really made our day. One of those days I’ll never forget.”
— Vietnam Veteran Dennis Kane
“Just wanted to say how much I appreciate Honor Flight Chicago treating us veterans to a most amazing day. My guardian, Eileen, was the perfect guide and the day was sooooo special! The commitment you all have to make all this happen is very noble. I thank you!”
— Vietnam Veteran Dale Klinefelter
“Just a note to say thank you to all that make the Honor Flights what they are. Everyone was so kind . My hat is off to ALL !!!!!”
— Vietnam Veteran Henry Dean
“It was excellent. A beautiful day–also the weather. More than what they said it would be. My Guardian was super! I really enjoyed myself. I’d been in DC before but I’d never seen the memorials. I got to shake hands with an Admiral. Unbelievable! I appreciate all your efforts. Thank you very much!”
— Vietnam Veteran Richard Grenda
